For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived?
Parallel translations
- WEB For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as we have, and lived?
- KJV For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
- NKJV For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
- NASB For who is there of humanity who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
- NLT Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They ask who else has heard the living God's voice from the fire and survived. They recognize their experience as both unique and dangerous.
Overview
The people marvel that mortal flesh has heard the voice of the living God and lived. This expresses awe at God's self-revelation and the gravity of his holiness. The phrase 'living God' contrasts him with dead idols and points to the God who gives life through his Son.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Deut 4:33Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
- Rom 3:20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
- Matt 26:63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
- 2 Cor 6:16What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
- Jer 10:10But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
- Josh 3:10He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
- 1 Th 1:9For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
- Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
- Isa 40:6A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field.
- Gen 6:12And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.
- Ps 84:2My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
- Ps 42:2My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?
- Dan 6:26I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 5:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.